Tag fastening machine



S. E. VAN TUYL TAG FASTENING MACHINE oct.y s, 1943.

Filed Aug. 29. 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet l OCT 5, 1943. s. E. VAN y'rUYL TAG FASTENING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllllll Oct. 5, 1943. s. E. VAN TUYL 2,331,252

TAG FASTENING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 d@ f WZMM' Oc-t. 5,194'3'. s, E, VAN TUYL I 2,331,252

4TAG FASTENING MACHINE Filed Aug. 29, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Oct. 5, 1943 f 2,331,252 TAG. FAs'rENiNG MACHINE Sidney E. van Tuyl, Riverside, Ill., assigner to American Tag Company, Chicago, Ill., a oorporation ol Illinois Application August 29, 194,1, serial No. 408,173

' (ol. ca -ss) ziciaims.

This invention relates to tag fastening machines and more particularly to fasten to merchandise tags in strip form by means of staples or pins.

It has been the usual practice in the case of so-called pin tickets carrying wire staples to print the tickets in strip form and thereafter to tear are cut from a strip and fastened to the mer` chandise without any manual handling. The machine is preferably in the form of a portable hand tool which can be used in any location and in any position, or it may, if desired, be mounted on a pedestal for operation by a foot pedal or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tag fastening machine in which the tags are fed in at the side, are cut from the strip, and are fastened to the merchandise.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tag fastening machine in which the tag is yieldingly held in the machine until it has been secured to the merchandise. This keeps the staple on the tag in proper position for fastening.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tag fastening machine in which the tag is yieldingly held in the machine until it has been fastened and in which the machine is then moved to an intermediate position to permit easy removal of the tag and merchandise from the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tag fastening machine in which tagsare fed automatically by the fastening operation.

Another object is to provides. tag fastening machine in which the feed mechanism is latched in inoperative position when the machine is in an intermediate position for tag removal.

Still another object of the invention is to provide av tag fastening machine in which the tag feeding mechanism engages an opening in the central portion of the tag. This feature prevents cooking or tilting of tags fed to the machine by engaging the tag at the leading side of its tenter.

The above and other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich: y

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine; Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the parts in another position Figures 5 and 6 are sections on the lines 5-5 and 8-6 respectively of Figure 1; Figures 7 and 8 are views similar to Figure 6 showing the parts in different positions; Figures 9, 10-and 11 are sections on the lines 9-9, III-I0 and IIII respectively of Figure 1; Figure 12 is a detail view of the locking cam; Figure 13 is a side elevation showing the parts in crimping position; Figure 14 is a view similar to Figure -13 showing the parts in intermediate latched position; Figure 15 is a side elevation of a pedestal mounted unit; Figure 16 is a similarview of a table mounted unit; and Figure 17 is a partial enlarged section on the line II-II of Figure 16.

The machine in general comprises a frame formed by three pivotally interconnected arms I5, I6 and I1. The arms I5 andy I6 pivot about an axis I3 and the lower arm I1 is pivoted to a block I3 extending between the rearward ends of the arm I1 and the other arms. The arm I5 carries at its forward end a head indicated generally at 2|. The arm I6 carries a guide plate 22 and the arm I1 carriesan anvil 23 of the usual construction for spreading and clinching the ends of wire staples.

The arms I5 and I6 are normally urged apart 'by a compression spring 24 lying between them and are adapted to be urged together by an operating handle member 25 pivoted to the arm Il at 26. The arm 25 extends beyond the pivot 26 and is pivoted to oneA end of a bell crank lever 21 pivoted intermediate its ends to the arm I5. A link 28 connects the opposite end of the bell crank lever 21 tothe free end of the -arm I6. When the handle member 25 and the end of the arm I5 are gripped in the hand of an operator and are squeezed together, the arm I5 will be moved toward the arm I1, the parts at this time being in the position shown in Figure 13.

The guide plate 22 is in the form of a flat metal plate rigidly secured to and extending laterally from the free end of the arm Il. 'At one edge the guide plate is formed with a channeled or grooved portion 29. The plate is adapted to support and to guide a. strip of tags or pin tickets 3| slit along one edge at 32 and interconnected adjacent their opposite edge. Each pin ticket carries a wire staple projecting through the tag and terminating in downwardly extending spaoed points 34. In the central portion of each tag or pin ticket there is formed an elongated opening 35 extending across the center line of the tag for a purpose to appear later. It will be understood that any desired information relative to price, lot number, model number, etc. may be printed on the tag in lines above and below the opening 35. 'The particular construction of the tag as referred to above is more particularly described and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 408,771, filed August 29, 1941.

Strips of tags fed along the guide plate are held down against the plate by a leaf spring 35 secured at one end to the upper portion of the channel part 29 with its free end pressing against the tags adjacent the channel. At the end of the guide plate adjacent the head 2l there is provided a cutting blade shown as a separate blade 31 lying parallel to the edge of the guide plate adjacent the head 2l.

The head 2|, as best seen in Figures 3 to 8, is-

formed by a hollow portion at the end of the arm l having a ilat plate 38 secured to the lower end thereof. The plate is sharpened at one edge to form a cutting blade cooperating with the blade 31 to sever tags from the strip as the machine is operated. As will be seen from Figure 1, the plate 38 crosses the edge of the guide plate at an acute angle so that the tag registering with the head will be properly sheared from the strip between the plate and the cutting blade 31.

Tags are adapted to be fed from the guide plate into register with the head which normally lies above the plane of the guide plate. The head carries at the side remote from the guide plate a stopmember 39 projecting beyond the face of the plate 38 to limit movement of a tag across the plate 38, and in cooperation with the,

stop member the head also carries a spring strip 4l extending across the head and resiliently pressing against the plate 38 to receive a tag and to hold it yieldingly in place on the head. In order that the tags may be fed properly between the plate 38 and the spring 4I a spring member 42 is secured to the bottom of the guide plate and has an ear 43 projecting throughv a slot in the guide plate to engage the tags adjacent the end which is slit at 32 and to cock the tags into substantial parallelism with the head plate 38. In this manner, as the tags are fed into register with the head, they are tilted so as to pass properly between the head plate and the holding spring 4I.

, The tags are preferably fed automatically from the guide plate into register with the head by a feed mechanism including a slide member 44 having rivets or light fastenings 45 extending through an elongated slot 45 in the guide plate slidably to support the member 44 on guide plate for movement toward and away from the head. The slide .member --pivotally supports a feed nger 41 whose free end extends toward the head and which is urged downwardly against the guide plate by means of a light coil spring 48. The feed ilnger 41 terminates in a feeding end 49 having a relatively square feed shoulder and sloping on its underside so that upon return movement it will cam itself easily out of engagement with a tag. As shown in Figure 3, when the feed finger 41 is in its feeding position, the end 49 underlies the head 2|, extending to substantially the central portion of the head. In

order that the feed finger will not interfere with proper movement of the head, the head plate 38 and one side of the head portion 2l are formed with a slot 5| registering with the feed finger so as to t over it when the head is depressed.

In operation when the slide member 44 is moved back to the position shown in Figure 4, the end 49 of the feed nger will drop into the hole 35 of the tag next adjacent the head. When the mechanism is operated to move the slide and feed nger to the position of Figure 3 the tag engaged by the feed finger will be moved into register with the head as shown. It will thus be seen that the feed nger engages the tag at the end of the hole 35 facing toward the direction of feed and at a position ahead of the center of the tag. This is a very important feature since we have found that the tags, and particularly the last tag of a strip, has a tendency to cock or tilt if it is positioned into ,register with the head from its trailing edge. By engaging the tag at a point ahead of its center, the tag is in effect pulled into register with the head and the tendency to cock or tilt is minimized.

The slide member 44 is normally urged toward the position of Figure 3 to feed a tag into register with the head by a coil spring 52. The slide is moved away from the head against the spring 52 by means of a cam plate 53 supported on a slide bar 54 which is slidable in brackets 55 carried by a plate 55 rigidly secured to one edge of the guide plate. The cam 53 is moved by means of an arm 51 integrally formed with the slide bar 54 and connected therethrough to the cam and pivoted at its opposite end to the arm I5. The cam plate engages a roller 58 carried by a lever 59 pivoted at one end to the plate 56 on a pin 5| and the opposite end of lever 59 is pivotally connected to the slide 44. With this construction, when the cam is moved downwardly, as seen in Figure 11, it rocks the lever 59 counterclockwlse, thereby moving the slide away from the head against the tension of the spring 52.

The slide and feed finger are adapted to be latched in their outward position by means of a pivoted latch member` 53 pivoted at one end to an extension of the plate 55 and urged toward the slide by a -spring 54. The free end of the latch member is provided with a shoulder 55 adapted to engage a pin 55 carried by the lever 59, which pin may also form the connection between the slide and the lever 59. When the slide is moved to its outward position the latch 53 will drop down, moving the shoulder 65 into engagement with the pin 55 and holding the slide against movement in the feeding direction.

'I'he latch is released by means of a screw 5l carried by the latch and forming an adjustable abutment. As seen in Figure 11, the screw 51 lies in the path of movement of the cam 53 and is adapted to be engaged thereby when the cam is in a position to release the slide member. During the last portion of the travel of the cam toward its normal or released position, as shown in Figure 11, the rearward edge thereof engages the screw 51 and rocks the latch '83 away from the pin 55 so that the slide is released. At this time,

-the cam being out of engagement with the roller vand the cutting blade 31.

assista 3 on the return movement of the head, thereby` making it diiilcult to remove the material and the secured tag from the machine. In order to eliminate this dimculty the head is latched in an intermediate position, as shown in Figures 8 and 14, to permit removal of the tag and material.l

members are squeezed together to fasten a tag.

the pin 59 will travel in a clockwise direction from the forward end of the cam track around the track to the upper lefthand portion of the cam track as viewed in Figure 12. e

A spring 1| crossing this portion of the cam track tendsto throw the pin to the right so that when the parts are released the pin will travel position shown in Figure 12. In this position movement of the cam 53 away from the pivot 8| i will be prevented and the parts will be heldin a In operation of the machine a strip of tagsA which have previously been marked on a printing machine such as that shown in my co-pending applications, Serial No. 391,872, filed May 5, 1941, and Serial No. 408,772, llled August 29, 1941, is placed on the guide plate 22 with the projecting staple ends 34 lying inthe channel or groove 29.

The strip may be forced across the guide plate until the end tag moves against the stop 39, in

which position the end tag will be incomplete register with the head plate 38 and will be held thereon by the spring nnger 4|. When the handle members are squeezed together the head will be moved across the edge of the guide plate and the tag in register with the head will be severed from the strip between the edge of the head plate movement of the head will force the staple points 34 through the material and bring them into ensagement with the anvil 23. which .will turn the` points outwardly against 'the material as shown in Figure 7, thereby securing the tag to the material. At the same time the cam I53 will engage the roller 58 to move the slide member 44 away from the head until the end 49 of the `feeding iinger drops into the opening 35 ofthe next tag, In the extreme outer position of the slide member the latch 63 will engage the pin 86 to hold the Also the pinv slide member in its outer position. 69 of the lever 18 will travel aroundthe cam slot 88 as described above into engagement with the spring 1|.

When the handle members are released they will be urged apart by the spring 24 until further movement is stopped by movement of the pin 69 into the re-entrant portion oi the camv groove 68. In this position, as shown in Figures 8 and 14, the material and the tag secured thereto may be removed from the machine. The handle members are then again squeezed together, this operation causing the pin 58 to continue its clockwise travel around the cam groove 68 out of the re-entrant portion thereof.

into the re-entrant portion of the track to the position with the head plate .38 lying substantially Continued downward l `into register with the head, cooperating cutting When the members are. released theywlllbeuleda'prtandthepinlwlll travel around the extreme righthand portionoi the cam groove yso as not to interfere with movement ofthe parts.l The parts will thus return to their normal position as shown in Figure 1 ready for another operation. During the last by thespring 52, the feednngerll moving the strip of tags along the guide plate until the end tag is in register with the head. The parts are now ready for another` loperation and such operations may be repeated until the strip of tags is exhausted. v

Figure 15 shows the invention embodied in a pedestal mounted unit, parts therein corresponding to like parts in Figures 1 to 14 being designated by the same reference numerals.

The operating parts of this unit may be substantially identical with those of the hand unit, the three levers I5, I8 and 1 being pivoted on a head block 15, carried by a Ipedestal i'lli adapted to rest on the iloor. The outer end of the arm |1 adjacent the anvil 23 is supported on and may be rigidly secured to a supporting arm 11 on the pedestal.

'I'he hand guarden the handle 25 is omitted and the handle is pivotally connected, as shown in Figure 17, to pivot pins 18 carried by a yoke 19 on the upper end of a rod 8|. At its lower end, the rod 8| is pivoted to a lever 82 pivoted on thebase 83 of the pedestal and having a treadle 84 atone end.A As shown, the lever 82 is pivoted intermediate its ends so that when the treadle 84 is depressed, the rod`8| and yoke 19 will be raised. This operation will move the handle membery 25 toward the lever I5 to operas a table mounted unit in which the head' f block 15 and supporting armk 11 are carried by a base 85, carried by a table 86. The rod 8| extends through the table and is connected to a pedal 81, pivoted on a lblock 88 which may be se-v cured to the iloor or clamped to a leg of the table.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and' described in detail, it will be understood that various changes might be made therein and that the embodiment shown is illus- .tratlve only. Reference will therefore be had to the appended claims to determinev the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A tag fastening machine,V comprising a.`

guide plate to receive and guide a strip of conn'ected tags each of which carries a staple, a head normally lying above one edge of the guide plate and movable across said kedge to a position below the guide plate, means .to feed the tags along the guide plate to bring them successively portions on the guide plate and head to sever from the strip a tag in register with the head,

when the head is moved across said edge of the guidel plate, means cooperating with the head when it is moved to its extreme position below tion to permit removal of the material and secured tag therefrom, and means to release the locking means to permit the head to return to normal position.

2. A tag fastening machine comprising a guide plate to receive and guide a strip of connected tags each of which carries a staple, a head normally lying above one edge of the guide plate and movable across said edge to a position below the guide plate, means to feed the tags along the guide plate to bring them successively into register with the head, means on the head yieldingly to secure thereto a tag moved into register therewith, cooperating cutting portions on the guide and the head to sever from the strip a tag in register with the head, means cooperating with the head when it is moved to a position below the guide plate to crimp over the staple of a tag on the head to secure it to a sheet of material, means to hold the head in an intermediate position to permit removal of the material and secured tag therefrom, and means to release the holding means to permit the head to return to its nonmal position.

3. A tag fastening machine comprising handle means including a pair of handle members normally urged apart and adapted to be squeezed together to operate the machine, a guide plate carried by said handle means to support a strip of connected tags each of which carriesa staple, a head supported by the handle means and movable across one edge oi' the plate as said handle members are squeezed together, means associated with the guide plate to feed the tags therealong successively into register with said head, cooperating cutting portions on the head and the guide plate to sever from the strip a tag in register with the head, means carried by the handle means and cooperating with the head to crimp over the staple of a severed tag to secure it to a sheet of material when said handle members are squeezed together, means to hold the handle members in an intermediate position following th'e securing operation to permit removal of the material and secured tag, and means to release the holding means to permit the handle members to return to their normal positions.

4. A tag fastening machine comprising handle means including a pair of handle members normally urged apart and adapted to be squeezed together to operate the machine, a guide plate carried by said handle means to support a strip of connected tags each of which carries a staple, a head supported by the handle means and movable across one edge of the plate as said handle members are squeezed together, means associated with the guide plate to feed the tags therealong successively into register with said head, means on the head to receive a tag and to secure it yieldingly to the head, cooperating cutting portions on the head and the guide plate to sever from the strip a tag in register with the head, means carried by the handle means and cooperating with the head to crimp over the staple of a severed tag to secure it to a sheet of material when said handle members are squeezed together, means to hold the handle members in an intermediate position following the securing operation to permit removal of the material and secured tag from the securing means on the head, and means to release the holding means to permit the handle members to return to their normal position.

5. A portable hand tool for securing tags to material comprising handle means including a pair of handle members normally urged apart and adapted to be squeezed together to operate the machine, a guide plate carried by and extending laterally from the handle means to receive a strip of connected tags, said guide plate being formed with a groove to receive the projecting ends of staples carried by the tags, a head carried by the handle means and movable across one edge of the guide plate, means to feed the tags along the guide plate and successively into register with the head, cooperating cutter portions on the head and guide plate to sever from the strip a tag in register with the head, and an anvil carried by the handle means and cooperating with the head to crimp over the staple of a severed tag.

6. A portable hand tool for securing tags to material comprising handle means including a pair of handle members normally urged apart and adapted to be squeezed together to operate the machine, a guide plate carried by and extending laterally from the handle means to receive a strip of connected tags, said guide plate being formed with a groove to receive the pro- Jecting ends of staples carried by the tags, a head carried by the handle means and movable across one edge of the guide plate, means to feed the tags along the guide plate and successively into register with the head, cooperating cutter portions on the head and guide plate to sever from the strip a tag in register with the head, means on the head to hold a severed tag yieldingly thereon, and an anvil cooperating with the head to crimp over the staple of a severed tag held on the head.

7. A portable hand tool for securing tags to material comprising handle means including a pair of handle members normally urged apart and adapted to be squeezed together to operate the machine, a guide plate carried by and extending laterally from the handle means to receive a strip of connected tags, said guide plate being formed with a groove to receive the projecting ends of staples carried by the tags, a head carried by the handle means and movable across one edge of the guide plate, means to feed the tags along the guide plate and successively into register with the head, cooperating cutter portions on the head and guide plate to sever from the strip a tag in register with the head, means on the head yieldingly to hold a severed tag thereon, an anvil cooperating with the head to crimp over the staple of a tag held on the head when the handle members are squeezed together, means to hold the handle members and head in an intermediate position to permit removal of a tag from the head, and means to release said holding means to permit return of the handle members and head to their normal Y position.

8. A portable hand tool for securing tags to material comprising handle means including a pair of handle members normally urged apart and adapted to be squeezed together to operate the machine, a guide plate carried by and extending laterally from the handle means to receive a strip of connected tags, said guide plate being formed with a groove to receive the projecting ends of staples carried by the tags, a head carried by the handle means and movable across one edge of the guide plate, means to feed the tags along the guide plateV and successively into register with the head, cooperating cutter portions on the head and guide plate to sever from the strip a tag in register with the head,

means on the head yieldably to hold a severed 2,831,252 tag thereon, an vanvil cooperating with the head to crimp over the staple of ay tag held on the head when the handle members are squeezed to gether, means to hold the handle members and head in an intermediate position to permit removal of a tag from the head, and means operated by again squeezing the handle members together to release said holding, means.

9. A portable hand tool for securing tags to material comprising handle means `including a pair of handle members normally urged apart and adapted to be squeezed together to operate the machine, a guide plate carried by andA extending laterally from the handle means to receive a strip of connected tags, said guide plate being formed with a groove to receive the projecting ends of staples carried by the tags, a head carried by the handle means and movable across one edge of the guide plate, means to feed the tags along the guide vplate and successively into register with the head, cooperating cutter portions-on the head and guide plate to sever from the strip a tag in register with the head, an anvil carried -by the handle means and cooperating with the head when said handle members are squeezed together to Acrimp over the staple of a tag carried by the head, and means controlled by return of the handle members to normal position to actuate the feeding means to feed anothertag into register with the head.

l0. A portable hand tool for securing tags to material comprising handle means including a pairof handle members normally urged apart and adapted to be squeezed together to operate the machine, a guide plate carried by and extending laterally from the handle means to receive a strip of connected tags, said guide plate being formed with a groove to receive the `projecting ends of staples carried by the tags, a head carried by the handle means and movable across one edge of the guide plate, means to feed the tags along the guide plate and successively into register with the head, cooperating cutter portions on the head and guide plate to sever from the strip a tag in register with the head, means on the head yieldingly to hold a severed tag thereon, an anvil cooperating with the head to crimp over the staple of a tag held on the head when the handle members are squeezed together, means to hold the handle members and head in an intermediate position to permit removal of a tag from the head, means to release said holding means to permit return'of the handle members and head to their normal position, means controlledl by return of the handle members to their normal position to actuate the feeding means to feed another tag into register with the head, and means operable when the handle members and head are in said intermediate position to prevent operation of the feeding means.

l1. A portable. hand tool for securing tags to material comprising handle means including a pair of handle members normally urged apart and adapted to be squeezed together to operate the machine, a guide plate carried by and extending laterally from the handle means to receive a strip of connected tags, said guide plate being formed with a groove to receive the projecting ends of staples carried by the tags, a head carried by the handle means' and movable across one edge of the guide plate, means to feed the tags along the guide plate and successively into register with the head, cooperating cutter portions on the head and guide plate to sever from the strip a tag in register with the head, areo hold it yieldingly on the head, an anvil vcooper-- ating with the head when the handle members are squeezed together to crimp over the staple of a tag held by the head, latch means effective upon release of the handle members after a crimping operation to hold the handle members and head in an intermediate position to permit removal of the tag from the head, means operable by again squeezing the handle members together to release the latch means scthat the handle members and head can return to their normal position, and means controlled by return of the handle members to their normal position to actuate said tag feeding means.

12. A portable hand tool for securing tags to material comprising handlemeans including a pair of handle members normallyv urged apart and adapted to be squeezed together to operate the machine, a guide plate carried by and ex-v tending laterally from the handle means to receive a strip of connected tags, said guide plate being formed with a groove to receive theprojecting ends of staples carried by the tags, a head carried by the handle means andvmovable across one edge of the guide plate, means to feed the tags along the guide plate and successively into register with the head, cooperating cutter portions on the head and guide plate to sever from the strip a tag in register With'the head, a resilient nger on the head to receive a tag and `to hold it yieldingly on the head, an anvil cooperating with the'head when the handle members are squeezed together to crimp rover the staple of a tag held by the head, latch means effective upon release of the handle members after a crimping operation to hold the handle members and head in an intermediate position to permit removal of the tag from the head, means operable by again squeezing the handle members together to release thevlatch means so that the handle members and 4head canreturn to their normal position, resilient means normally urging said feeding means in a direction to feeda tag into register with the head, cam means operated vby movement of the handle members together to move the feeding means in the opposite` direction, a latch engaging the feeding means to hold it in its extreme position insaid last named direction, and means operated by return of the handle members to the normal position to release said latch. y

13. A tag fastening machine comprising a guide plate to receive and guide a strip of connected tags, said guide plate being formed at one end with a cutting edgesubstantially parallel to the end of the plate, a head movable across said edge and formed with a cutting edge intersecting the cutting edge on the 'plate at an acute angle, means to feed the tags along the guide plate into register with the head whereby they will 1 be cut successively from the strip as thev head is moved, and means on'the guide plate adjacent the head to tilt the tag next adjacent the headinto substantial parallelism with the cutting edge on the head.

14. A tag fastening machine comprising a guide plate to receive and guide a strip of connected cutting edge on the plate at an acute angle,

means to feed the tags along the guide plate into register with the head whereby they will be d Vsilient finger on the head to receive a tag and yto cut successively from the strip as the head is moved, a resilient finger on the head to receive and yieldingly to grip a tag fed into register with the head, and means on the guide plate to tilt the tag next adjacent the head into substantial parallelism with the cutting edge on the head. 15. A tag fastening machine comprising a guide plate to receive a strip of interconnected tags, fastening means to receive tags from said guide plate and to cut the tags successively from the strip, and means for feeding the tags along the guide plate comprising a slide member slidable along the guide plate toward and away from the fastening means. a feed finger movably carried by the slide member and engageable with the tags to feed them, and means operated by said fastening means to actuate said slide member.

16. A tag fastening machine comprising a guide plate to receive a strip of interconnected tags,

fastening means to receive tags from said guide member in the opposite direction when the fastening means is operated to cut off a tag.

17. A tag fastening machine comprising a guide plate to receive a strip of interconnected tags, fastening means to receive tags from said guide plate and to cut the tags successively from the strip, and means for feeding the tags along the guide plate comprising a slide member slidable along the guide plate toward and away from the fastening means, a feed finger movably carried by the slide member and engageable with the tags to feed them, means operable in timed relation with the fastening means to move the slide member from one position adjacent the fastening means to a second position away from the fastening means, resilient means urging the slide member to said one position, a latch `to hold the slide member in said second position, and means operable by the fastening means to release said latch.

18. A fastening machine for use with a strip of interconnected tags having openings in the central portion thereof comprising a guide plate to receive the strip of tags, a head movable across one end of the guide plate to receive tags therefrom and cooperating with the guide plate to sever the tags successively from the strip, a feeding finger movable along the guide plate and having a feeding end adapted to enter the openings in the tags to feed the tags, said feeding finger extending over the central portion of the head to move each tag fully into register with the head.

19. A fastening machine `for use with a strip of interconnected tags having openings in the central portion thereof comprising a guide plate to receive the strip of tags. a head movable across one end of -the guide plate to receive tags therefrom and cooperating with the guide plate to sever the tags successively from the strip, a feeding finger movable along the guide plate and having a feeding end adapted to enter the openings in the tags to feed the tags, said feeding finger extending over the central portion of the head to move each tag fully into register with the head, and means operable by movement of the head to actuate the feedingnger.

20. A fastening machine for use with a strip of interconnected tags having openings in the central portion thereof comprising a guide plate to receive the strip of tags, a head movable across one end of the guide plate to receive tags therefrom and cooperating with the guide plate to sever the tags successively from the strip, a feeding finger movable along the guide plate and having a feeding end adapted to enter the openings in the tags to feed the tags, said feeding finger extending over the central portion of the head to move each tag fully into register with the head. and said head being cut away on the side adjacent the guide plate to form a groove to receive the feeding finger.

21. A tag fastening machine comprising a head block supported above a floor, three arms connected to said head block and carrying respectively a head, a guide plate and an anvil, supporting means rigid with the head block and supporting the last named arm, a handle member operatively connected to said arms and movable toward them to move the first named arm and the head toward the anvil, an operating rod connected to said handle member, and a pedal lever pivotally mounted adjacent the floor and connected to said operating rod.

SIDNEY E. VAN TUYL. 

